Starting device for motor-vehicles.



G. J. MENGES.

STARTING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED IEIB.4, 1911.

Patented Apr. 21, 191 1 15 34 Fig; 2.

INVENTOR 1 Oharls J, Manges CHARLES J. MENGES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STARTING DEVICE FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 4, 1911.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.. Serial No. 606,457.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. MENGES, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Starting Device for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to starting devices for motor vehicles and has for one of its objects the production of a starting device which will obviate injury to the operator in case of a back lire while starting.

Another object of my invention is to provide a starting device which will require but a small amount of power.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a starting device of such a character that the compression and firing point of the motor may be designed without reference to the starting conditions and consequently the greatest amount of power may be obtained from the motor.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate two forms of starting device made in accordance With my invention, Figure l is a top plan view of my preferred form; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detailed view showing the connections from the pedal; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but looking in the opposite direction.

Like marks of reference refer to similar parts in the several views of the drawings.

10 represents the frame of the motor vehicle. Carried by this frame 10 is the usual driving shaft 11 connected with the motor, not shown, and which must be operated in order to start the motor. In my invention, however, the power is not applied directly to the shaft 11 but to mechanism to be here after described.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 1, adjacent to the shaft 11 is a shaft 13 carried at one end by links 1 1 pivoted to supports 15 slidingly mounted on cross bars 17 The opposite end of the shaft 13 is pivoted to the frame at 18 as shown in Fig. 1. Mounted upon the shaft 13 1s a gear wheel 19 which is adapted to mesh with a gear wheel 20 mounted upon the driving shaft 11. Owing to the swing lng movement of the end of the shaft 13 which is due to its suspension by the links 141, the wheel 19 may be moved into and out of mesh with the wheel 20. In order to control the lateral movement of the shaft 13 I provide a toggle mechanism 2l one end of which is pivoted to said shaft and the other to a support adjustably mounted upon the cross bars 17 hereinbefore referred to. Pivoted to the center of the toggle mechanism 21 is a link 23 connected to an arm 21 mounted upon a shaft 25 which is journaled in the supports 22 and provided at its opposite end with a crank arm 26. This arm 26 is connected to a link 27 as best shown in Fig. 3. The opposite end of the link 27 is connected with an arm 28 projecting downwardly from a double ended pedal 29. This pedal 29 is held in its normal position by means of a spring 30. It will be evident that by operating the pedal 29, the arm 24 can be caused to move the toggle mechanism so as to throw the wheel 19 into and out of engagement with the Wheel 20. In order to automatically disengage wheel 19 from wheel 20 the toggle mechanism 21 has pivoted to it in addition to the link 23, a second link 31 which is pivoted to an arm 32 carrying a pawl 33 adapted to engage with the wheel 20. The arm 32 is pivoted at 31 to a support 35 adjustably mounted upon a cross bar 17. The pawl 33 is preferably made in two or more parts as shown in Fig. 1 so as to insure the instantaneous operation of the device, as will be hereinafter more fully described. The shaft 13 has mounted upon it a spring pawl 36 which is adapted to engage with the wheel 20-. In order to limit the movement of the shaft 13 toward the wheel 20 I provide the support 22 with a projecting arm 37 on which is mounted an adjustable stop 38 against which the end of the toggle mechanism 21 is adapted to strike. I preferably provide this stop 38 with a block 39, of rubber or similar yielding material so as to allow for the slight movement of the toggle mechanism as it passes from the position shown in Fig. 4 through its neutral point or dead center.

The operation of the form of my mechanism above described is as follows: The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 4, power may be applied to the shaft 13 to start the motor either through the usual crank mechanism or through a ratchet mechanism 40 shown in Fig. 1 but not described, as it is similar to that shown in my prior Patent No. 992,577. issued May 16, 1911. It will be evident that owing to the small size of the wheel 19 compared with the wheel 20 a very small amount of power will be necessary to start the motor. In case no back firing occurs but the motor starts in its normal manner the wheel 19 may be thrown out of engagement with the wheel 20 after the motor has been properly started. If however, a back fire should occur while the motor is being started so as to rotate the wheel 20 in a reverse direction, the engagement of the pawl 33 with the wheel 20 will cause the said reverse move ment of the wheel to operate the arm 32 and thus draw the link 31 downward so as to move the toggle mechanism 21 from its normal position through its neutral or dead center position after which the link by gravity will drop into the position shown in Fig. 2, thus disengaging the wheel 19 from the wheel 20 practically instantaneously so that no injury will occur to the person starting the motor.

The object of the spring pawl 36 is to hold the wheel 20 against the ordinary resistance caused by the compression of the fluid in the motor. WVhen, however, a back fire occurs the pressure will be sufficiently great to cause this flexible pawl to bend and be moved out of engagement with the wheel. After the back fire has occurred the wheel 19 may be thrown into engagement with the wheel 20 by means of the pedal 29 hereinbefore referred to.

While I have described my invention as applied to a starting device for motor vehicles, it will be understood that with slight changes it can be used in connection with motors of various kinds.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a starting device for motors, the combination with a motor, of a shaft driven therefrom, a starting shaft geared to said first-named shaft, means for automatically moving said second shaft laterally when said first shaft is reversed, and yielding means normally preventing the reversal of said first named shaft.

2. In a starting device for motors, the combination with a motor, of a shaft driven therefrom, a starting shaft geared to said first-named shaft, a toggle mechanism for moving said second named shaft into and out of engagement with said first-named shaft, and automatic means for actuating said toggle mechanism when said firstnamed shaft is reversed.

3. In a starting device for motors, the combination with a motor, of a shaft driven therefrom, a starting shaft geared to said first-named shaft, a toggle mechanism for moving said second shaft into and out of engagement with said first-named shaft, an arm provided with a pawl engaging with a gear on said first shaft, and connections between said arm and toggle mechanism for automatically operating the latter when said first-named shaft is reversed.

1. In a starting device for motors, the combination with a motor, of a shaft driven therefrom, a starting shaft geared to said first-named shaft, a toggle mechanism for moving said starting shaft into and out of engagement with said first-named shaft, an arm provided with a pawl engaging with the gear on said first shaft, connections between said arm and toggle for operating thelatter, and means within control of the operator for operating said toggle.

5. I11 a starting device for motors, the

combination with a motor, of a shaft driven. therefrom, a gear wheel carried by sald shaft, a second shaft carrying a gear wheel adapted to mesh with said first named wheel, an adjustable support, a pivotal link suspending said second shaft from said sup.- port, a toggle connected at one end of said second shaft, a second adjustable support to which the other end ofsaid toggle is connected, a pivoted lever provided with a pawl engaging said first named wheel, and a link connecting said lever and toggle.

6. In a starting device for motors, thecombination with a motor, of a shaft driven therefrom, a gear wheel carried by said shaft, a second shaft carrying a gear wheel adapted to mesh with said first-named wheel, an adjustable support, a pivotal link suspending said second shaft from said support, a toggle connected at one end to said second shaft, a second adjustable support, a

lever pivoted to said second support and provided with a pawl engaging with said:

first-named gear wheel, a link connecting said lever and toggle, and a third adjustable support to which said toggle is connected.

7. In a starting device for motors, the

combination with a motor, of a shaft driven therefrom, a gear wheel earned by said shaft, a second shaft carryin a gear wheel adapted to mesh with said first-named wheel, an adjustable support, a pivotal link suspending said second shaft from said support, a toggle connected at one end to said second shaft, a second adjustable support, a lever pivoted to said second support and provided with a pawl engaging with said first-named wheel, a link connecting said lever and toggle, a third support to which one end of said toggle is connected, and a rock shaft carried by said third support 10 and connected with said toggle.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and aifixed my seal in the presence of two subscribin witnesses.

OHARLl S J. MENGES. [1 s.] Witnesses:

FRANK GUTTING, W. A. ALEXANDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. v 

